One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
by wwefaneam41
Summary: 'It's never enough to say I love you. No, it's never enough to say I try. It's hard to believe that there's no way out for you and me. And it seems to be the story of our life. Nobody wins when everyone's losing.'- Theory of a Deadman: Not Meant To Be
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so this story started out with Drew McIntyre as the main character and a different name for the child. I totally shouldn't have even started this, but it's already finished. No joke. This is the first story I've finished, all the way, before posting. And it hasn't been beta'd. I also kind of feel bad, because my beta, _butterflydance21_, is working on a CM Punk story too and I don't want to feel like I'm competing with her for the 'best Punk story' or whatever. Her Punk story is really, really great and I really enjoy it. **

**So, as I said, this story came to me when McIntyre got traded back to SmackDown and Teddy Long was giving him a hard time. It quickly became a Punk story, just because I am totally in love with CM Punk and his character at the moment. I seriously switch my favorites pretty much every day. Ummm, I don't know, I'll post every fewish days. I don't think there will be a sequel to this, I like where I ended it. I hope you all enjoy it!**

* * *

><p><strong>Part 1<strong>

"Is daddy gonna be grumpy again?" a sullen seven year old asked from his spot on the couch beside his mother.

The two were sitting alone, in the designated family room, watching the taping on the monitor. And even though Halyn was almost positive her husband would be in a foul mood, she couldn't tell their son that. It was her job to remain in good spirits. She was the mother, and she was a rock.

"I don't know, babe_. _ But I'm sure Daddy doesn't mean to be grumpy with you, Jackson. He just has a lot going on with work stuff, he's trying to be the best he can be," Halyn responded, pulling the dark haired boy close to her body.

"He looks really mad and mean when he's on TV, I don't really like it," Jax responded, "I don't like when daddy is scary."

Halyn smiled at her son and whispered, "I don't like when Daddy is scary either. You just need to remember that, when he's on TV he's only acting. It's his work and he's really good at what he does, yeah?"

The little version of his dad nodded and leaned back against his mother. It was late, and he was tired but he wanted to see his dad's match. He loved watching him fight and he especially loved it when he won. If he won, it meant he wouldn't be so grumpy. Having a grumpy daddy wasn't any fun.

"Why do we get to see Auntie tomorrow but we can't see Aunt Shalene?" Jax asked his mom.

"Well, that's because Daddy and Aunt Shalene grew up in Chicago. Remember, I grew up in a small town in Ohio," Halyn laughed, "So, when we're in Ohio we can see my sister but not Dad's sister."

"Wait, so if Daddy lived in Chicago and you lived in Ohio, how did you get together?"

"Jax, we've been over that before," Halyn reminded her son

"I know, but I like to hear the story. It makes me happy," Jax smiled, "And it makes you happy."

"Well, I went to college in Michigan. And I met Uncle Scotty there, and we became really good friends. One day Daddy came to visit and Uncle Scotty introduced us. I think I feel in love with him the first time I saw him," Halyn reminisced.

"And then you had me?"

"Well, then we dated for a while and then we got married. I was 21 when we got married and you came along four years later. And you are just the best thing since sliced bread," she smiled.

"Oh mommy," the little boy rolled his eyes.

"Look, daddy is on TV," Halyn said, pointing to the screen in front of them.

"But he looks angry," Jax frowned, "I don't like when he gets that look on his face. He looks at you like that sometimes, it makes me really sad."

The two watched on in silence as the man they loved grew frustrated over the match. They watched as others got involved and the ref got distracted. When he was pinned by Dolph Ziggler, Jayme's heart dropped to her stomach. She knew it was scripted, even if he never told her the official outcome of any match. The whole thing wouldn't have been so gut-wrenching if Phil hadn't been in such a down mood lately. He criticized himself, telling himself he could do so much better, reminding himself that he had done so much better. Halyn was convinced that he only needed a new, different storyline and that would be the pick-me-up she'd been waiting for.

Phil however, wasn't convinced. He was sure that he would keep being screwed over by the 'higher ups' and that was really stressing him out. And when Phil was stressed, he got angry.

**XXX**

"So, Jax said me something that kind of upset me today," Halyn said slowly, unsure of how to bring up this discussion with her husband.

"His name is Jackson, Halyn, I wish you'd use it properly," Phil snapped, his voice thickening with anger.

Halyn sighed, not wanting to argue with him. It felt like all they ever did was argue anymore, over anything and everything. "Phil, will you please look at me? I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you, but when you're face is glued to the television it's kind of hard."

Jax had fallen asleep a little after seeing his dad's match and as soon as Phil was done with his after-show meetings, the family headed to the hotel. With Jax settled in his bed, Halyn thought it would be a good time to confront her husband about his recent attitude problems. When she rejoined Phil in the main room, though, she could see the distance on his face. There didn't ever seem a good time to talk to him lately.

"I'd rather watch these stupid infomercials than listen to you nag me," he replied.

"This isn't about me," she said, biting back tears, "And it isn't about you either. It's about our son and how your attitude lately is affecting him."

"What is wrong with my attitude lately?" Phil asked, turning his head to look at his wife of nearly 11 years.

"You've just been really short with everyone. Look, I understand that you're stressed with work, I get that. I've dealt with that for so long now, but you're so quick to anger and Jackson mentioned it today too," Halyn said quickly.

"Oh, you get that, do you?" he questioned in an almost sarcastic tone, "The woman who hasn't worked in almost six years gets it. That's great."

"Please don't do that. Don't patronize me; we made the decision together that I would stay home with Jackson. I wanted to work, Phil. When I got my degree and Jackson got older, but you said you'd rather have us traveling with you. That's why he's being homeschooled by me and we're living out of hotel rooms, rental cars, and airplanes more than we are at our actual home," Halyn told him.

"So, I'm the bad guy for wanting my wife and son around me as much as I can get?" Phil asked, "Would you rather be home alone for most of the week with Jackson? Have our son not see me every day and not wake us up the way he does now?"

"That's not what I'm saying, Phil. Please, I don't want to argue. It's just that your upside down attitude is hurting our son. We're both walking around on egg shells with you because we don't want to upset you," Halyn sighed and sat down in a chair across from where her husband was sitting on their hotel bed.

"What do you want me to do, Hail? I'm working my ass off right now and there's just too much going on," he said.

"I don't know. I just don't want Jax seeing you upset and angry all the time," Halyn shrugged.

"Damn it, Halyn. His name is not Jax," Phil shouted, "its Jackson Michael Brooks, and you really piss me off when you call him Jax."

"Um, I'm going to bed. Are you going to stay up for a while?" Halyn asked after a few minutes of shocked silence.

"Yeah."

"Okay, well, I love you," she said, kissing him on the cheek.

"Love you," he murmured absently without looking at her.


	2. Chapter 2

**I feel like I always forget to say this in the first chapter, BUT-  
>I don't own CM Punk, I don't own Colt Cabana, I don't own Theory Of A Deadman. Nor do I own the lyrics to their song Not Meant To Be, or any of their songs.<br>However, if I did own CM Punk, I'd be a very happy girl and I'd never let him go. Just because he's a hunky piece of meat with sexy tattoos that are a definite turn on as well. *Sigh* If only I did own him...  
>Okay, well, that being said, hopefully I don't get reported for using stuff that I have not yet claimed as not mine. Yeah, I don't know.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2<strong>

Groaning slightly, Halyn blinked her eyes slowly as she woke up. The first thing that flashed through her mind was that she never wanted to move from the spot she was currently in. She lay on her right side with her head resting on a heavily tattooed chest that could only belong to one Philip Jack Brooks. The second thing was that she was thankful he'd finally got some sleep, no matter how little. And the third that she was happy Phil had chosen to join her in bed to find that time of sleep.

Halyn carefully arched her neck to look into his face, shocked when she saw his eyes open and him watching her. Then she saw his smile, a genuine smile that hadn't graced his face recently in her presence. Feeling better about moving, she snuggled closer to his body and hummed when his arms tightened around her. There had been times, when Phil was feeling particularly stressed, that Halyn worried she was the problem. She'd been afraid they'd gotten married too young, and now Phil was getting bored with her. Though she never brought it up to him, he always seemed to know just when and what to do to make those thoughts go away.

"I'm sorry I've been a dick lately," he said softly, taking her left hand in his right and bringing it up to his lips, kissing the rose tattoo. They'd gotten them together, a few years after they'd gotten married. Halyn knew in her heart that he was the only man for her, even if he left her she'd never be able to move on.

"It's okay. I just miss you," Halyn told him before smirking, "You've always been a bit of a dick anyway."

"We need to find someone to watch Jackson in a week," Phil mentioned as he traced the rose, "We'll be on the road, but we still need to celebrate our anniversary."

His wife nodded in awe, not bothering to hide the feelings that washed over her at his words. She had been sure he would forget, "I'll ask Barb and Eve, I'm sure they won't mind."

"I've got a couple interviews today, pre-Road to WrestleMania crap. Are you and Jackson coming with, or staying here and packing?" he asked.

"It'll depend on what time your interviews start and what time Jax decides to wake up. He passed out pretty quick last night, though so I don't think it'll be too much longer," Halyn mused.

"Will you please stop calling him that?"

In the past two weeks, Halyn thought things were getting better. Phil wasn't quite as short with her when other people were around and he was a lot better with Jackson. The only thing that really set him off was when Halyn would call Jackson 'Jax'. And even with the conscious effort to stop, she still had slip ups every now and then. When she did, Phil acted like it was the end of the world.

Sighing heavily, she sat up and pinched the bridge of her nose. Finally, she blurted out the one thing that had been on her mind for the last few months, "Do you ever feel like I've somehow held you back?"

"Where is this coming from?" Phil asked, shaking his head while sitting up and leaning against the headboard.

"I don't know, I just feel like you were happier before we got married and had Jackson," she explained, "Do you ever regret that we got married so young?"

Phil sat silently, thinking before answering, "I love my life with you, and Jackson. But I loved my life before you too."

Halyn nodded and without responding she crawled out of bed. Walking into the bathroom and closing the door behind her, she sat down on the edge of the tub. It was what she'd always feared, and she criticized herself for being so stupid all those years ago. When Phil originally asked her to marry him, she'd said no. It had nothing to do with the fact that she didn't love him, but everything to do with the fact that he was the world's best bachelor. That was the life he loved, Philip Brooks was a loner and Halyn knew that before they even started their relationship. Halyn didn't want this exact thing to happen, she didn't want him to resent her or their possible future children.

And when she'd told him of those fears, he'd assured her more than once that he could never resent her. Phil had promised her that basically what was happening would never happen. So, she'd believed him and agreed to marry him. Though, Halyn would be the first to admit that there were many rough spots, financially, with Phil working all his Indy matches and trying to get his big break. There were a lot of good times too, and the hard times only made their relationship stronger, or so she thought. Then again, she could have been wrong. Those hard times could have pushed him away, pushed him to feel the way he was feeling right now. She could have pushed him away. And that was a sad, scary thought.

XXX

The boy yawned as he walked through the main room and into his parent's hotel room. He was dragging the small blanket he always took with him; it was his home away from home. Fully prepared to jump into bed with his parents and sleep for a little while longer, Jackson was shocked to see the bed made and a half-packed suitcase mounted on top of it. Upon further inspection, he saw that it was half-full of his mom's clothes and other travel items. When the women in question walked back into the room, she looked at her son with sad eyes.

"Where's daddy?" he asked, his voice still thick with sleep.

"Um, he had some work stuff to do this morning," Halyn told him before bringing him in for a hug, "How did you sleep?"

"He didn't want to say goodbye?"

"Dad left really early this morning, I'm sure he just didn't want to wake you up," she lied.

"Oh, okay," the answer seemed to suffice him for the moment, "Why are you packing? I thought we were staying here for a few more days."

"I know, bud. I'm sorry, a little change of plans. I think we are going home for a while," Halyn said slowly, unsure of how her son would react.

"Like, our house, home?" Jackson's eyes grew wide with excitement, "I'll get to sleep in my own bed and eat at my own table and we won't have to be in cars and planes all the time."

"You think it's a good thing, Jax? I mean, we'd get to see Daddy's sisters and Uncle Scotty. Maybe we could even sneak off and see Uncle Mike, if you can keep a secret," Halyn smiled warily.

"Is Daddy coming with us?" the boy asked.

Halyn sighed, "No babe. Daddy has to work still; it would just be you and me."

"Could he come home whenever he wants to see us?" Jackson asked hopefully.

"I'm sure if you asked him he would. He loves you more than the world," his mother said, knowing that was the truth. There was nothing Phil wouldn't do for their son, nothing he hadn't done for their son.

XXX

"What the hell do you mean you're going back to Chicago?" Phil hissed, he'd just gotten back to their room and Jackson was running around singing something about going home.

"I think Jackson and I need a break," Halyn said as she finished packing her son's suitcase and set it on the floor next to her own.

"You need a break?" he sneered, "What the fuck do you need a break from, Halyn? You're not doing anything worthwhile. You follow me around like a lost little puppy and complain when things aren't going your way. That really doesn't sound too hard to me."

"Hey, Jax can you go check in your room to make sure I didn't miss anything?" Halyn said, distracting her son from the verbal abuse his father was just inflicting.

"Don't fucking call him that," Phil growled, his fists clenched at his sides.

"Go on," she shooed Jackson before turning to her husband, "Look, I realize you're under a lot of stress right now and I think I've been fairly reasonable with your mood swings lately, but I swear to anything and everything that is listening, if you ever swear at me like that in front of my son it'll be the last thing you do."

"Our son. And I really don't think you've been reasonable at all, the only thing you ever do is bitch and complain. You act like it's the end of the fucking world if I get upset about something. And you still haven't fully explained to me why you're taking my son to Chicago," Phil said, trying his hardest to calm down.

"We need a break from you and it's pretty obvious that you need a break from us. You told me earlier that you loved your life before me, so this is me giving you the chance to have that back," Halyn shrugged, "If you realize that freedom is what you want, then I guess there's nothing I can do to stop you. But I'm really hoping you choose me and our son."

"Are you asking me for a separation?" Phil asked quietly.

"No, I'm just asking you to get your priorities straight. I want you to find out where we belong in your life."

"So that's it? Like a fucking cakewalk you're just going to leave?" Phil's voice got angrier as he spoke.

"You think this is easy for me?" Halyn scoffed, "I miss you when you aren't even in the room, Phil. I don't have any idea how I'm going to survive however long it takes you to come back to me, if you ever do. My heart is going to be breaking ever second you're away and I am honestly afraid that you won't feel an ounce of the pain that I will. My biggest fear with this is that you won't even realize we're gone."

* * *

><p><strong>So, yeah... Just a little input, but I'm totally on Punk's side of this whole twitter feud thing. Just Saying.<strong>

**_Kizzyfur:_**_ I'm glad you like it! I hope you continue to like it!_

_**xj0j0x: **Well, I'll be sure to keep it coming!_

_**SandraSmit19:** _


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

The dark blonde sighed as she made her way through the spacious house, picking things up as she went. It blew her mind how things could get so messy with only two people in less than a week. Then again, Jackson hadn't learned the art of picking up one thing before getting another out, he just chose a different spot to play in. Halyn wouldn't get mad at him though, she couldn't. The seven year old had actually been quite angry with his mother, yelling up a storm about how she made his daddy go away.

That thought hurt her heart. There was no way she'd ever ask Phil to leave, or go away. She was emotionally unable to tell him that she no longer wanted him around. Philip Brooks was the absolute love of her life; no one would, nor could, ever take his place. And, until he said it was over, Halyn would try with all her might to make things work between the two of them.

One simple knock on the front door and hearing the slight creak of it opening brought a voice calling to her from the front room. Of course, that could only mean one person-

"Uncle Scotty!" Jackson yelled as he flew past his mother to see his dad's best friend.

"Jax, buddy, how's it going?" Scott Colton laughed as he picked the younger boy up into his arms.

"Good, is Daddy with you?" he asked, looking around his 'uncle' in hopes of finding Phil.

"No, he's not. Hey, Jax why don't you go and get some clothes on that we can ride bikes in, that way you, me, and your mom can go for a bike ride in a few minutes," Scott suggested, laughing again when the kid ran off towards his bedroom.

"Hey Scott," Halyn said, greeting the man she'd befriended over a dozen years ago, "What brings you by? Other than a bike ride, that is."

"It's just that I got this strange phone call about an hour ago," he started, shaking his head in confusion, "Your husband asked if I wanted to hang out a bit tonight, but he didn't want to hang out here. He actually asked to hang out at my place."

"Oh?"

"Then I brought your name in the conversation, very casually of course, and he nearly ripped my head off through the damn phone," Scot shook his head again, chuckling as he remembered the sudden anger in his friend's voice.

"Okay, first of all Scott, you don't do anything casually. Ever. So I doubt however you brought my name in was 'very casually'. You probably tried dropping what you considered subtle hints but were actually neon arrow signs. And second, will you please get to the point?" she turned around, heading for the kitchen and knowing Scott would follow.

"Is there a reason you're here, at home, when Phil is still on the road?" Scott finally asked.

"Yes."

"Care to share? Because I have never known you to be not be with Phil. Whenever he was out of town for Indy matches, you followed him. When he had his try out match with the WWE, you went too. I'm kind of confused."

"Not particularly."

"Okay," Scott sighed, "Let me put it this way. Share or I'll tickle you until you tell me."

Halyn rolled her eyes, knowing he would do exactly what he threatened, "I don't think he's happy with me, so I told him that Jackson and I were coming home for a while. I'm hoping this will get his head on straight. He's been so stressed out, and I think he's feeling burned out like he did last summer. I don't know, I could be wrong. He just doesn't share anything with me. I mentioned something about him being happier before me and he admitted that as much as he loves his life now, with me, he loved his life before me too."

"And that leaves you where?" he asked, sitting down on one of the stools as Halyn pulled some water bottles out of the refrigerator.

"At the moment, I'm not exactly sure. I told him that when he figures out whether he wants to be with me or not, to let me know," Halyn shrugged again, "My son hates me with the fire of a thousand suns right now and the man I love is probably going to leave me."

As she turned around, Scott could see the tears in her eyes and sighed. His Halyn very rarely cried. She was probably one of the least emotional women he'd ever met, taking away the nine months of pregnancy. Those hormones killed her. "You don't know that Phil is going to leave you."

"Damn it, I knew this would happen. I knew he would regret marrying me at some point down the line. I just hate that I actually believed him when he promised- Don't you see, Scott? Everything I told you would happen, is happening right now," she whispered, "And Jackson hates me because he thinks I sent Phil away. He thinks I told his dad to leave and that's why Phil hasn't been around. We haven't even been home a week, what is he going to think after a month? A year?"

"Just tell him the truth, Hails. Don't lie to him, be honest. The kid is smart, he'll be able to understand," Scott stood up from the stool and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and letting her cry into his chest.

"I can't let him be upset with Phil. He worships the ground Phil walks on, Scott. I just want everything to go back to the way it was a year ago," Halyn said.

"You're too good of a person-"

"Mom, is Uncle Scotty gonna be my new daddy?"

"What? No, Jackson, where would you get that from?" Halyn asked, flabbergasted that he would even think of that as she pushed away from the man in question.

"You don't hug Daddy so much," the little boy shrugged.

"Babe, Uncle Scotty is not going to be your new daddy. No one is going to be your new daddy. Your dad is your dad and that's the way it'll always be. No matter what," Halyn promised as she walked over to her son.

"Is Daddy coming home soon?" Jackson asked.

"I don't know bud," Halyn shrugged sadly.

When Jackson huffed at her Scott stepped in, "Jax, why don't you get your bike and your mom's bike out of the garage. We'll be there in just a minute."

"Daddy doesn't like it when Mommy calls me Jax," the boy stated before turning to the garage door and heading out of it, slamming the thing behind him.

"This is affecting my son, Scott. He is so upset with me because he thinks it's my fault, and maybe it is. Maybe I just wasn't what Phil needed, or needs," Halyn said, shaking her head, "But whatever is happening, Phil needs to be here for our son because this is hurting him."

**XXX**

After biking, for what seemed like hours, the trio made their way back home. It never ceased to amaze Halyn to see how much her son was like his father. That boy loved biking, even when it was snowing. She, however, was an icicle from head to toe and was quite certain her cheeks were a nice shade of red without any makeup on them. Her nose, she was sure, was running even though she could barely feel it.

"Last one back to the house has to make the hot chocolate," Jackson yelled back towards his mom, who of course was trailing behind.

The boy picked up his speed, along with Scott not wanting to be forced to make anything, while Halyn lagged behind. Going any faster would cause more wind in her face and that would only make her colder. That was not going to happen; she'd rather make hot chocolate! But as they reached the house, they saw an unfamiliar car parked in their driveway, empty. Hesitantly, Halyn went inside, having asked Scott to keep Jackson occupied outside while she checked the house.

"-That would be something I would pay to see. He is CM Punk, the best in the world, as he said. The WWE Champion, he will not be escorting Chael Sonnen to the ring on Saturday night. But he will be competing live, on pay-per-view this Sunday against Dolph Ziggler. This has been a huge honor for me, thank you so much CM, I really appreciate it and, uh, a pleasure talking to you," a voice rang out through her house.

"Alright, thanks everybody."

Phil's voice was unmistakable, and when she walked further in the house she saw him with a couple other men, one holding a microphone and another holding a video camera. It was obvious that he being interviewed. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she turned around and tiptoed back towards the door, however her numb toes gave out and caused her to fall against the door with a loud bang.

The three men turned to face her as she turned around with a sheepish look on her face, "I'm sorry, Phil. I didn't know you were home. I saw the car in the driveway and got worried. I'll just, um, go do something."

"Please tell me you're a sister," the man holding the microphone breathed, loud enough for Halyn to hear across the room.

"Ew, no, and thank god for that," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It's nice to know that being my sister disgusts you so much," Phil shook his head.

"How about you think about that sentence a little bit, huh? Would you really want me to be your sister?" Halyn shot back.

"You single?" the interviewer asked.

"No, married. 11 years, tomorrow," she answered without looking away from Phil. He just stared at her, his hazel eyes emotionless.

"Where's Jackson?" Phil asked.

Halyn sighed, swallowing the lump in her throat, "Outside, waiting for my okay. I didn't recognize the car, it worried me."

"Husband?"

"Son," Phil answered for her, "You left a seven year old outside. In the cold, by himself?"

"He's not by himself; I'm not an idiot, Phil. We went for a bike ride with Scott," she snapped, "They're both outside."

"Ah, Scott's your husband."

"Dear Christ, do you ever shut up?" Halyn asked, feeling anger get the best of her.

"I'm her husband," Phil admitted quietly. Halyn's head snapped over to look at him, shocked that he'd actually said something. Shocked that he'd actually admitted it. She had expected him to leave her to fend for herself against this reporter. "Just don't go spreading that around, we're not sure how much longer it's going to last."

And there it was, out in the open. The love of her life had fallen out of love with her, or maybe he'd never really loved her to begin with. "I'll just, um, go let them know they can come inside. Jackson will be happy to see you."

* * *

><p><strong>Alrighty, chapter 3 is done and here are the review responses! I would also like to thank everyone who has favoritedalerted this story and/or added me on their author list because of this story! I usually don't check that list, but I checked it the other day and I think I'm on like 45ish favorites and around 22 alerts. I'm not sure, I could be off, but I think that's pretty accurate. Anyway, thank you all again!  
><strong>

_**SandraSmit: **I PROMISE that I had this written on the last chapter, for some reason it didn't post! I am so sorry! I had said something along the lines of 'I love it when I have finished stories too! It's easier for me that way! lol' I don't think those are the exact words, but close enough. Again, I definitely had something, I didn't purposely leave it blank!_

_**xj0j0x: **Actually, now that I re-read that chapter, for probably the billionth time, I can see how you'd take it as Halyn is unsupportive. But to be honest, I definitely didn't mean to make it like that. Hopefully in the next couple chapters you'll see a different side! But I totally agree that it can be taken on Phil's side, though I meant for Phil to be a jerk instead of making a point._

_**Kizzyfur: **Oh, TEAM PUNK all the way! Of course that has nothing to do with the fact that he is drop dead gorgeous and too sexy to be available for someone like me, *sigh* a girl can dream. LOL! I'm glad you're liking the story!  
><em>


	4. Chapter 4

**I had a dumb moment again, on the last chapter where Halyn walks in at the end of the interview, I don't own any of those words in the interview. That is an actual interview between CM Punk and Ariel Helwani. So I also do not own the reporter either, he owns himself. You can find that interview on .com, which I also do not own.**

**Dang I am all over the disclaimers on this chapter! HA! Yeah, I know I'm an idiot, it's alright. I'll let you read the story now...**

* * *

><p><strong>Part 4<strong>

Walking back outside, Halyn couldn't even feel the cold. She waved her son inside, telling him there was a surprise waiting for him, and could hear his excited scream. Under any normal circumstances, that would have made her smile in the very least. But she was pretty sure nothing would make her truly smile again. Phil and Jackson were her life, Halyn was already feeling lost as Phil basically admitted he was leaving her, her heart breaking.

"Hails?" Scott said softly, seeing her sit on the cold concrete driveway. The look in her eyes was full of confusion and she looked around like she was trying to find something. "What happened?"

That seemed to pull her out of her revere, for the moment, and she looked up at him, eyes still confused. "I don't know. I'm just trying to figure out what I did wrong, when I pushed him away, how I made him stop loving me. I don't know what I did."

"Oh, Halyn, I'm sure it wasn't you-"

"God that is so cliché. It's always the other person; I just should have seen it coming. Maybe if I tried harder, maybe I wasn't supportive enough. Or maybe he doesn't like having sex with me anymore-"

"Whoa, I don't want to hear about your sex life," Scott interrupted, "You're like my sister and that's just wrong. I know that Phil isn't that shallow, whatever is going on in his head, it isn't about sex. Good or bad. And don't even get me started on how supportive you really are. You have given up nearly everything for him. If he can't see that then he's an idiot."

"How do you know that? How can you say it's not about one thing or another?" Halyn asked.

"Because I know Phil-"

"Yeah, I thought I did too," Halyn said sadly, "Now the only thing I know is that he just told a complete stranger that he wasn't sure how much longer we'd be together."

"Mom, Uncle Scotty! Daddy's home! Come inside and have hot coco with us," an excited child yelled from the door he'd just flung open. "Hurry up before you freeze to death!"

"How am I going to tell Jackson? How do you tell a seven year old that his dad doesn't want his mom anymore? Will he even believe me?" Halyn asked, a million questions running through her mind yet not being able to hold but a few at a time. "He's going to hate me."

"Hails, don't think about that right now-"

"Come on!" Jackson yelled.

"We're coming," Halyn said quickly, standing up and running a gloved hand over her still numb face. She was still so lost as she followed Scott inside. The house she and Phil had purchased together, decorated together, loved and laughed in together. She would probably have to move back to Ohio, move in with her dad until she got on her feet, not being able to afford a place this size on her own.

Halyn let her eyes dragged slowly across each and every square inch of the house, burning the details into her memory. She closed her eyes as her mind flicked through each event that had happened in the place she'd grown most accustomed to. It would hurt to leave these things behind, but not as much as it did knowing the only man she'd ever give her heart to fully would be taking his heart back.

"So, when your divorce is final, what do you say to going on a date with me?" the interviewer asked.

"No." Her answer was short and firm as she moved to walk away.

"Okay, I get it. You're uncomfortable with me asking since Punk is in the same room. I'll ask another time," the guy smirked.

"I'm not going on a date with you," Halyn snapped, "Divorce or no divorce; I don't want to date you. And I think it's pretty classless of you to ask me, not only in front of my husband, but in front of our son as well."

"I think it's time for you to leave, Ariel," Phil said, walking up behind Halyn and putting a hand on her hip, frowning when she shied away from him. The man in question scoffed, but listened as he motioned for his camera man to follow him out of the Brooks' household.

"That man isn't going to be my new daddy, is he Mommy?" Jackson asked, "I don't really like him."

Hearing Phil growl under his breath, Halyn took her son's face in her hands and softly said, "I told you earlier that you aren't getting a new daddy. Your dad is your dad and he'll be your dad forever. Where is this coming from, Jackson?"

"Chase said that her mommy and daddy yelled at each other a lot before she got a new daddy and a new mommy," he said quietly, talking about Mark Calaway's oldest daughter, Chasey. "Daddy yell's at you a lot and I know that's why we came home without him."

Chasey was a couple years older than Jackson, but her younger sister Gracie was Jackson's age and they were born less than a week apart. When Mark was still on a regular travel schedule, he'd bring the girls with him so that Jackson had some company. It wasn't surprising that they'd become close friends and whenever they were in Texas, Halyn made sure they made a small detour to see the Calaway's.

"Babe, listen to me, I already told you that no one was going to replace your dad. He will always be your dad and there will never be a 'new' dad in our lives, no matter what happens. And I know you think you understand why we came home without Daddy, but it's more than him just yelling," Halyn told her son, "On top of that, Chasey was even younger than you are when Mr. Mark and Miss Sara broke up, I highly doubt she even remembers what happened."

Phil sighed, knowing it was his turn to reassure his son, "J.M.B. you're not getting a new mom anytime soon. Your mom and I still have things to talk about-"

Halyn stopped listening; the only thing she could focus on was that Phil had practically admitted that he was going to move on. He would fall in love with someone better, get married, and probably try to take her son away from her. Looking up at Scott, she could see the shock on his face as well.

"I love you, Jax," she whispered in his ear, standing up and leaving the room. Not able to stand being in the same room with the man who had ripped her heart out with just a few words. She climbed up the stairs and to the bedroom that she was supposed to be sharing with Phil, wondering how much longer she'd have until he asked her to leave. Halyn felt so stupid and useless as she looked at the picture frames, holding their wedding photos. They both looked so happy, what changed that?

Trying to keep her composure was nearly impossible as she felt tears well up in her eyes, blurring her vision. One-by-one, they fell as she wondered how long they'd been living this lie, as she wondered what she'd done wrong. Lost in her own sorrow, she didn't even hear the bedroom door re-open, not noticing someone walking into the room, until he sat down beside her on the bed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Scott tried his hardest to comfort the girl who'd been a sister to him for last dozen or so years, to no avail.

"I'm such an idiot," she whispered.

"No, he's the idiot to even think about letting you go," Scott said soothingly.

"Just stop!" she yelled, "Stop making excuses!"

Standing up, Halyn pushed away from him as she walked into the master bathroom, locking the door behind her. Scott looked towards the bedroom door, seeing Phil and Jackson standing there, shock written all over their faces. The shattering of glass from inside the bathroom had him on his feet and all three guys making a beeline towards the bathroom door.

"Hails?" Scott called after trying to turn the handle, unsuccessfully, "Open the door, let me in please."

Seeing the door was locked, Phil grabbed a hairpin that was lying on Halyn's dresser, picking the lock with it. Hearing the click, he pushed into the room to see his wife sitting on the floor, glass glittering it all around her. Her hand was wrapped in a towel and the frosted glass door to the stand-up shower missing, apparently on the floor and probably in the shower itself, possibly with pieces in Halyn's hand. The small, white hand towel was quickly turning red and Phil knew they would have to make a trip to the emergency room.

"Hail, what'd you do?" he asked, carefully moving the large pieces of glass out of his way so he could reach her without being cut himself.

"Left hook," she answered before standing up, small flecks of glass falling from her clothes, and walking out of the bathroom, holding her left hand close to her stomach.

The other three watched as she robotically walked to the closet she shared with Phil and pulled out a zip-up hooded sweatshirt. Forcing her uninjured arm through the right side of the shirt, she wrapped the other side around her shoulders before zipping it up, one-handed and walking from the room. Phil and Scott looked at each other before following quickly, worried about how much blood she was losing. They reached her just as she was pulling her car keys from her purse and lugging the bag onto her right shoulder.

"Dude, where are you going?" Scott asked.

"Hospital."

"Halyn, you can't go by yourself," Phil said, "You are not in the right state to drive."

"Apparently, I'm going to have to get used to doing things on my own, Phil. And since I already have someone to watch Jackson, I don't see any other reason that is keeping me from going to the hospital," Halyn snapped, already starting to build up a wall around her heart, though keeping her son inside it, but not willing to let anyone else in.

"Christ, Hail, just let me take you to the ER. Scott can stay here with Jackson and we'll be back before he goes to bed," Phil prompted.

"I don't want you doing me any favors, Phil. I'll just go by myself." The blonde turned to leave before hearing her son call out to her.

"Please don't go alone, Mommy. Let Daddy go with you, he can hold your other hand when the meanies hurt you," Jackson smiled.

"Halyn Dakota, Phil is going to take you to the hospital and I am going to stay here with Jax. They'll probably need to take pieces of glass out of it and put stitches in it," Scott said sternly, "You'll want him there with you to keep your mind off the pain."

Rolling her eyes, she reluctantly agreed, hating when Scott pulled the 'big brother' voice on her. After kissing Jackson goodbye, Halyn was off with her soon-to-be ex-husband. The man was supposed to be comforting to her, but the only thing she wanted to do was punch another shower door.

* * *

><p><em><strong>xj0j0x: <strong>yes he was, sorry for the confusion! _

_**Kizzyfur: **when I first thought up that line, I knew for sure it needed to go somewhere in this fic, I just wasn't sure where to put it. I'm glad you liked it!_

_**SandraSmit19: **oh jeesh, I'm so so so sorry! You definitely did not offend me, I'd been having issues with the bold and italics buttons on that chapter. So it probably got deleted when I tried to switch them on or off again. Gosh, I felt so bad when I went back and read it and saw that it had your name but nothing after it! I'm glad you're liking it!  
><em>


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5**

"You're really quiet over there," Phil said slowly, taking his eyes off the road for a second to glance at his wife. Halyn currently was leaning up against the passenger door, her legs brought up to her chest, and her injured left hand was wrapped around her to lie over her right shoulder.

Simply nodding, Halyn didn't bother trying to help Phil relieve any of the tension that was obviously filling his car. She just didn't feel like caring anymore, what was the point if he didn't care either. To her, it was a no brainer. Phil didn't want her, she would have to move out, move back home to Ohio; try to find a decent paying job to take care of her son. But, she would make things work; she was strong and would remain strong for her son, for Jackson.

"Halyn, talk to me," he spoke softly, as if he wasn't sure he was doing the right thing, "How did you break your hand by just punching the glass? And why would you do that anyway?"

"Because I punched the ceramic wall first." Her answer was short, telling him she didn't want to talk about it. He wasn't going to listen until her phone started ringing.

She sighed, checking the screen and seeing it was her dad, before answering, "Hi Daddy. Yes everything is fine. No, I'm alright. Well, that's because I did have to go to the emergency room this afternoon. No, I'm not dying; I just broke my hand and needed some stitches. I'll be fine, Daddy, don't worry about me. Yeah, I'll call you later. Okay, I love you too. Bye."

"Who told the warden?" Phil asked a teasing tone in his voice.

"Our son did. And stop calling him that, you know he hates it."

"When he stops calling me the inmate, I'll stop calling him the warden," Phil said, "It's our thing, Hail. We joke all the time, back and forth. You know this."

"Well, apparently you won't have to deal with him for much longer, so I'm sure he'll stop calling you the inmate," Halyn snapped.

"What's your problem lately? You're all bitchy and today you're pissed at the fucking shower door?" he asked, "What's wrong? Are you pregnant or something?"

"My problem? Really? Did you- God, you don't get it, do you? You just told a total stranger that you weren't sure how much longer we were going to be together, and then five minutes later you tell our son that there is a possibility he's going to have a new mom?" Halyn's voice cracked and she closed her eyes to hold in her emotions, "If that's what you want Punk then just do it, don't make me wait and wonder on my future. Don't do that to Jackson."

"Don't do that-"

"Don't do what? Don't tell you how it is? I'm sorry that I don't want to be waiting around for you to find a new mom for my son before you decide to finally kick me out. Stop delaying what you want because all's its doing is making him hate me for something I have no control over," she interrupted.

"You haven't called me Punk in nearly twelve years, don't start again now," Punk said coldly.

"I was just barely your friend when I was calling you Punk, the only reason I started calling you Phil was because we were dating. Now I don't even know what we-"

"You don't know what we are? You're my wife, Halyn. Does that mean anything to you? Do you have any idea what it means to me?" he practically yelled, pulling into the driveway of their house.

"It means everything to me, Phil, everything. But lately, it's seemed like I mean nothing to you, regardless of status. Most of the time you don't care if I'm coming or going, and if I even try to have a conversation with you, it's like you need to turn it into World War III. I can't talk to you without you getting upset, and if something doesn't go your way then you yell at me as if it's my fault. I'm not sure when things got so messed up between us and I don't even know whose fault it is, but it needs to be solved. One way or another, this arguing between us needs to stop."

Climbing out of the car and walking into the house, Halyn was bombarded with a million questions from both Scott and Jackson. Both wondering if she was alright, how her hand was, how many stitches she'd gotten, and if they could see it. After telling them that yes she was alright, her hand was broken, they'd given her fourteen stiches in a couple different places, and no, they couldn't see it because it was in a cast, she tiredly plopped down on the world's most comfortable couch.

"Mom, where's Daddy?" Jackson asked as he sat on the floor beside her.

Looking around, Halyn sighed, "I thought he was right behind me. I promise I didn't leave him at the hospital."

"Did he hold your hand? I really wanted him to hold your hand," Jackson said sadly, looking up at his mom.

"The, uh, the doctor wouldn't let him in the room," she lied, "They had to take x-rays and blood and stitches, and he didn't want the nurses to be distracted by your dad."

"Distracted?"

"Yeah, because he's famous," Halyn laughed at the confused look on her sons face, "He's on T.V."

"Can we go back on the road with Daddy? 'Cause the Royal Rumble is this Sunday and I really wanna go," Jackson asked.

"I don't know, you'll have to ask him," she answered.

"Do you wanna go?"

"I don't know," she repeated, "I thought you liked being in your own bed."

"But I like when Daddy is with us. You don't wanna go, do you? You don't want to take me," Jackson complained, his voice rising with anger, "That's not fair. It's not fun when we aren't with Dad, we don't have fun when we're home without him. You're not any fun, only Dad is fun."

With that, the young boy jumped to his feet and ran to his room, his door slamming echoed throughout the big house. Pulling a pillow over her face, Halyn screamed into it, trying to release some of her frustration. Her eyes welled up with tears, but she refused to let them fall. She couldn't be weak, she wasn't weak. Her arm was throbbing and her mind was exhausted.

"Hails?" a voice called, a bit muffled to her ears from the pillow over her head. "He didn't mean it, he's just frustrated."

Pushing the pillow away, Halyn looked into the eyes of her best friend, "Yes he did. And he's right. I'm not the fun one; I don't get to go all over for my job. I'm the parent who makes him do his homework and tells him its bed time. Phil is the one who is known world-wide, and people love him. I'm just this frumpy, lost, puppy dog looking thing who is just so tired."

"None of that is true-"

"Yeah it is, I've heard it all before. It just hurts more coming from my son," Halyn sighed, "Ya know, your kids are supposed to look up to you. You are supposed to be their hero, how am I going to be his role model when he thinks I've made Phil go away?"

"Who thinks you've made me go away?" Phil asked, the garage door closing behind him.

Locking eyes with Scott, Halyn kept her mouth shut, not giving him an inch. She was hurting. She was aching for her husband to show her that he still loved her. She only wanted him, for the rest of her life she'd only want him. But that didn't mean he'd only want her, and she wasn't prepared for that yet.

"So, you'll talk to Scott but you won't talk to me? That's nice, why don't you go marry him, since you're so fucking open to him," Phil snapped, storming to the refrigerator and grabbing a bottle of water, "You complain that I don't basically don't give you enough attention and that I don't talk to you enough, but when I try it's like you don't even want to. This is a two-way street, Halyn. You have to try too."

"Phil, I don't think now is the time-"

"I actually think it's time for you to leave, Scott. This is something my wife and I need to discuss and you're not exactly helping," Phil said.

Halyn rolled her eyes, sitting up from her spot on the couch, "He doesn't need to leave, Phil. He's a friend of the family-"

"No, its fine, Hails," Scott told her with a shake of his head before turning to Phil, "We still on for later or are you going to be pissed at me for a while?"

"I haven't decided yet. I'll call you and let you know," he smirked back, knowing full well he could never be mad at him. They'd been best friends for far too long, they were practically brothers and closer than Phil was to his biological brother.

Halyn sat quietly as Scott said his goodbyes, though she snorted at him a bit when he suggested she take some kind of pain medication for her hand. He knew how she was, she hadn't touched a single drug, prescription or not, since she was fourteen. Her mom had passed away in a car accident, the other driver had been high on some kind of prescription medication and his blood-alcohol level was through the roof, well over the legal limit. It was then that she adopted what Phil calls the Straight-edge lifestyle.

Listening as Phil closed the door behind his friend, Halyn put a plan together in her head. Truly believing that Phil was done with her, she managed to put together a rational plan of action. Hopefully Jackson didn't hate her too much, and maybe, just maybe, he'd understand when he was older. A seven-year-old shouldn't have to deal with the heartache of his mother; he should be living his life. And Halyn would make sure he did just that.

"So? Are you going to tell me who thinks you've made me go away?" Phil asked, he choose to sit at the other end of the same couch, facing his wife with his feet over top of hers. It reminded him off all the times they'd made life-changing decisions together; they would always sit this way. When they'd decided whether they were going to keep Jackson, as soon as they'd found out they were pregnant, it was a rather inconvenient time to have a baby, but they were sitting in the very same position they were now.

"Jackson does. He's really, really mad at me," Halyn admitted to him, "He basically just told me everything you've ever told me when you'd get stressed and start ranting at me."

"Hail, he didn't mean any of it-"

"Scott said that too. But I don't think that's true. I'm not fun; I'm not the fun parent. I'm not the working parent, I'm not the one who everyone knows and is jealous of their lifestyle. No one even knows my name, Phil. There is a very small amount of your fans who actually know that you're married and have a kid," she ranted, "I'm just a mess. It's no wonder you don't want me anymore, not when I look like this."

"You can't really believe that. Come on, Halyn. My fans know I'm married, and they know I have a son. They don't know your names because I don't want them to hound you when you're out and about. I want you and Jackson to have a normal life, as normal as I can give you," Phil told her.

Pushing herself off the couch with one hand, Halyn swallowed the lump that formed in her throat, "Jackson wants to go to St. Louis. He wants to see the Royal Rumble and he wants to cheer for his dad. I was thinking that we could sit front row to watch it, instead of staying in the back, watching from a monitor."

"That's fine. I'll get things set up for you guys. I'll call and have them put in two extra seats for you," Phil promised.

"And then, um, I think Jackson and I are going to head home," she whispered as she turned away from him.

"You're not coming back on the road with me?" Phil asked, seemingly shocked.

Halyn shook her head, doing her best to keep her tears at bay, "You, um, you obviously haven't decided yet. But it's been pretty obvious which way you're leaning. I think it'll be best if Jackson and I go home."

"Go home?"

"Yeah, we're, uh, Jackson and I are going to Ohio, to Pike, and um, we're going to be there," she said, her heart breaking as she stumbled over the words.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, so what I consider a funny story... I was just listening to CM Punk's interview where he bashes his ex-girlfriend and calls her a douchebag. And, it turns out that he dated the warden's daughter from like Joliet, Illinois. Which I thought was funny, because I didn't know that before I'd written this story, obviously. There were a couple other things that I was like,'hey, wait, no. that's part of my story! you can't say that!'<br>Yeah, it's probably not so funny to you guys, but I liked it.. Anyway, review responses!**

_**SandraSmit19: **I'm so glad that you're still liking this! I love seeing what you have to say about my stories!_

_**xj0j0x: **Thank you very much! I'm glad you're still going strong!_

_**redheadedsweetheart: **Thanks! I hope you like the rest of the story as well!  
><em>


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6**

"I'm not paying for you to live in Ohio," Phil snapped, all but jumping to his feet and standing behind her. "If we're going to be together, then you'll live here, in our house."

"I don't know if we're going to be together, Phil," she shrugged as she turned around. It wasn't any easy decision for her, to just up and move everything she's known for the last eleven years. He didn't act like he loved her anymore, she couldn't live like that.

"You don't want to be with him?" a sad voice asked from the stairwell, "I knew it. I knew you sent him away. I don't want to stay with you."

"Jackson-"

"No, I don't want to talk to you. You sent my dad away; I like it when he's around. He makes us happy when he's around, why would you not want to be happy?" Jackson yelled at his mother, a deathly glare on his face.

Halyn sent a pleading look to Phil, silently begging him to help her, before turning back to the seven year old, "I didn't say I didn't want to be with him-"

"I don't want to talk to you!" he repeated, screaming so loud his voice echoed off the walls of the house.

"J.M.B. listen to me," Phil started, "Your mom and I are just going through a rough patch, we'll get things together, I promise, but you know you're not allowed to yell at her like that. You know we taught you better than that."

"Sorry, Dad," the young boy mumbled, looking down at his feet.

"Go to your room, I'll come get you in a little bit for dinner."

After making sure that the boy did go all the way up to his room, Halyn turned to look at Phil, "Do you see what you've done?" she hissed, "He hates me! I have done nothing wrong, but try to make you happy and our son hates me for it. What more can I do? I don't know what else to do to make you love me again. I don't even know what I did to make you stop loving me-"

"I never stopped loving you," Phil interrupted.

"You don't act like it. You don't show it. Phil, you either act like I don't exist or you use me as a verbal punching bag. How can I believe you love me? You told our son that he was going to get a new mom!" she said, poking him in the chest.

Grabbing her hand to stop the poking, he corrected her, "No, I told him he wasn't getting a new mom anytime soon."

"It's the same damn thing!" Halyn threw her hands in the air, "Here I am, promising that I will never give him a new dad, and you all but guarantee him a new mom. How is that fair? To him or me?"

"Why are we talking about new moms and new dads?" Phil asked, his tone going from angry to one of confusion.

"Because every time a guy comes up to me and treats me better than you do, Jackson asks if he is his new dad. He asked if Scott was going to be his new dad earlier too. When I asked him why he would think that, he told me it was because Scott was hugging me and you don't hug me," Halyn shook her head, clearly frustrated, "Are you really that disgusted with me that you can't even pretend to like me for our son's sake?"

"Damn it, Halyn. I'm not disgusted by you. Stop putting words in my mouth-"

"Then do something about it! I feel like I'm not enough for you anymore, Phil. I feel like there is something more for you out there and I'm holding you back from it. I don't want to hold you back anymore. I want you to be happy, and if that's not with me then I'll just have to accept that. But please don't drag me along. Don't get my hopes up if you're not going to feel the same way," her eyes were filling with tears again as she took a deep breath, "I can't fight for someone who won't want me in the end. I can't fight for you if you're not going to fight for me back. Something's gotta give here, Phil. I don't know where everything went wrong, but we have to fix it. And I'd really like to fix it together."

"I want to fix it together too, Hail, but-"

"No 'but's. You either want to or you don't. We figure this out now, or we walk away. It's going to hurt like hell, and I'm going to have one very pissed off seven year old, but if I'm not what you want or need any more then you've gotta tell me," she interrupted.

"I don't want you to leave. I never wanted you to leave. I never asked you to leave, I wanted you to be on the road with me, you and Jackson," Phil said.

"We needed space-"

"No, Hail, you've had your say. Now let me have mine," Phil pleaded softly, his hazel eyes begging her to listen to him, "I have been in love with you in various forms since the first day I laid my eyes on you. You were freaking perfect, everything that I'd ever wanted for in a woman. All the others I've met along the way, the ones who tried to seduce me or the ones who flirted with me, they never measured up to you. You're on a different level than all the rest.

"I'm not sure why I've gotten so uptight lately. I know that I've been a pain in the ass but I thought we were working through it. All of a sudden, I'm being told that you and Jackson are going off the road and that I need to make a choice. I don't want a choice, Halyn. I don't want an ultimatum, I promised you when I asked you to marry me, I promised you that we'd be together for the rest of our lives. I never want to break that promise to you. You are everything to me," he whispered, gently cupping her face between his hands.

* * *

><p><em><em>**Just a small warning, there is only one more chapter. I can't remember if I said this before, but this story is shorter than others I've written. I haven't decided if I'm going to do a sequel, but I don't think I am. I'm pretty content on where I've ended the story. If you guys aren't let me know and I will see if something comes up in my brain.  
>I also want to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story! It means a lot to me to see that you enjoy it!<br>**

_**SandraSmit19:**_ _Yes, Phil does want them together. It's a little more obvious after this chapter, too!_

_**Kizzyfur: **I'm glad you're liking it! Thanks so much for your review!_

_**xj0j0x: **Yeah, bratty kids are no fun! HAHA!_

_**redheadedsweetheart: **I'm so happy you like this story!  
><em>


	7. Chapter 7

**Alright, guys. This is the last chapter. I hope you've enjoyed it! Thank you so, so much for reading this story and for all of the favorites and alerts and reviews on it! It definitely keeps me writing and boosts my confidence in my writing. You are all amazing!**

* * *

><p><strong>Part 7<strong>

"Jackson Michael, you are not watching that pay-per-view. And there is no way I'm letting you watch that match," Halyn argued with her seven year old son, "I don't even want to watch it."

"Thanks for the support, Hail," Phil half-heartedly grunted from his seemingly permanent spot on the hotel room bed.

They were currently in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and it was the night before the Elimination Chamber. Phil, as always, knew the outcome of the match. His smug attitude wouldn't share it with Halyn, knowing how much it bothered her to not know who was going to win. Halyn was a nervous wreck; she knew how dangerous that stupid match could be. She'd watched almost every single match her husband had ever been in, including the Elimination Chamber, and the last one had been particularly brutal.

Now that Jackson was 'old enough' as he so eloquently it, he was positive that his parents would allow him to at least watch his dad's match. Halyn was fighting it, though. To her, Jackson was still a baby. Looking at it realistically, he was only seven. Only seven. Maybe when he was ten, if Phil was still wrestling and being the best in the world. Okay, Phil would always be the best in the world.

"Phil, please tell him he's not watching the Chamber pay-per-view," she decided to go with a different approach this time.

"Give me reasons and I'll decide," was his response, finally turning to look at his wife fully.

Halyn smiled at him and it damn near melted him to the spot. He couldn't believe he'd been so utterly stupid, he'd almost lost her. And that scare, that shook him to his core. Phil came to his senses, realizing his mistake. He hadn't been giving her the attention she needed, the attention she deserved. Halyn Dakota Brooks deserved everything in the whole entire world and more, but all she wanted was him and their son.

"-Phillip are you even listening to me?" her voice broke through his thoughts and he refocused on her, smiling sheepishly as he did so. "You've been zoning out like that a lot lately. Wanna tell me where you go?"

"To you," Phil shrugged, his cheeks coloring slightly and he chuckled in embarrassment when she shook her head, not understanding, "I think about you. I don't know, you're amazing. You put up with my shit."

"Dad! You owe me a dollar," Jackson laughed in a sing-song voice.

Groaning slightly, Phil glared playfully at his son who only laughed in response. "Why did you make that little rule?"

"Because your son likes to repeat the bad words you say. He thinks your some cool superstar or something," Halyn teased, rolling her eyes, "What a shock it'll be when he realizes how uncool Dad's really are."

**XXX**

"How was he back there?" Scott asked as Halyn joined him in their seats, front row.

She laughed slightly, taking in his terrible attempt at hiding himself, though it was surprisingly working out pretty well, "He was in Punk mode. He'd been that way pretty much since this afternoon."

"And how were you?"

"I don't know, I have a bad feeling," Halyn mixed a shrug with a shiver of nerves, "But then again, I've always gotten bad feelings about this pay-per-view. I hate that Chamber, but this time just feels different."

"He'll be fine, Hails. He is the best in the world," Scott smirked a bit at his friend before the lights dimmed and the Chamber was lowered, only putting her more on edge.

For most of the match, Halyn was holding Scott's hand, squeezing at the spots that scared her most. Many times she hid her face in his shoulder, in the back of her mind marking the differences between his shoulder and Phil's. Scott spent most of the time reassuring her, every time Phil hit the steel or had a near-fall.

Her eyes were on the men in the Chamber, watching as Jericho threw Kingston around before finally launching him out of the structure. Her eyes went wide as Punk kicked Jericho, making him fall out of the Chamber, into a camera man, and head first into a lighting structure- unconscious. Hands to her mouth to cover up her gasp, knowing that this hadn't been planned, Phil would have warned her if someone were getting 'hurt' like that, and looking over at Scott as Phil threw up an 'X' with his hands. He did it a couple times, first to the back, letting them know they needed some help, and second to Halyn.

She'd always appreciated his honesty when it came to his matches, any match really. The only thing he withheld from her was the outcome. He liked her to be surprised, just as surprised as the other fans. He saw her nod slightly, understanding, before going back to his match. The Miz. The kid people hated, the kid who had a lot of talent but people didn't give him enough credit for it. Punk hit him with his patented GTS before finally re-claiming the Championship Title.

Halyn yelled, until her voice cracked from the strain. It was an amazing moment for her, to see her husband win the Elimination Chamber. To go in as the WWE Champion and come out as the Champion as well, it was a great moment. She felt herself being lifted in the air and spun around by Scott before he set her back down with a kiss on her cheek. When she looked back at Phil, he was smirking down at her and winked when she pointed to him.

"I love you!" she yelled over the full arena, knowing he could at least read her lips. Halyn watched as he ran out of the ring, his Championship in hand, and over to where she stood, supporting him as she always did. No matter what, through thick and thin.

"I love you too," he said, slightly out of breath when he reached her, his eyes crinkling at the edges as he smiled at her. She loved him, and that was enough for him.

* * *

><p><em><strong>SandraSmit19:<strong>_ _I'm also kind of sad that it's ended, but I like where it has ended. And like I said last chapter, if you'd like to see more just let me know. I'll see what I can do!_

_**xj0j0x: **Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed the ending!_

_**Kizzyfur: **Here it is! Thanks so much for your review!  
><em>


End file.
